Words will NEVER hurt me?
by Vanessa S. Quest
Summary: I doubt this'll make much sense 'til you get to the end of it, but yeah, it's one of my traditional mind-eradicators that is meant to fulfill your angsty needs for Jonny Torture, if I say more I give it away but all is not what it seems.


Words will NEVER hurt me?

by Vanessa S. Quest

Jonny glared at the door, he was brooding in full-storm.

Hadji gave him a cruel look in return, "Do not even think you can be mad at this outcome Jonny, the privilege of that is all mine."

Jonny just gave him a new dirty look, oh if only he'd speak his mind.

"I cannot believe how stupid you can be, it... it baffles the mind how much of a buffoon you can be!"

The blond fell into absolute silence, holding his breath to keep from saying something he at least felt would be regretted.

"SERIOUSLY, Jonny how is it humanly possible to ...to... gaw! WHY... how... how can two of the top scientists- geniuses in the WORLD produce YOU as viable progeny?"

Blue eyes flickered metallic he turned, there was just no reconciliation for that, he didn't even do anything that severe this time, he crashed Questworld, again. That program goes down more often than one of Race's ex-girlfriends for Pete's sake! The only difference is this time it crashed and took Hadji's essay with it, mind you Hadji had a back up but the back up hadn't been edited as thoroughly as the original.

He growled making the first sound from him after Hadji's assaults.

Hadji continued to drone on counting the stupid things Jonny had done in the past and how all this adds up to his current state of stupidity, "it just amazes me it took so long for me to finally see your true mental capacity- no, mental IN-capacity, you incapable boob! How many times have you left our passports in the States? How many times do you crash a program, weekly? How many times in a DAY are you the direct cause of an explosion, on a good day, we will not even venture to count a bad day... after all, I do not believe you have the fingers-and-toes necessary to tally THAT!"

He retreated out of eyesight as his Hindi brother continued his tirade. Loudly, very, very loudly continued his tirade.

Once Jonny had gotten to a far enough distance he realized he was at the cliff's ledge. Carefully encroaching the edge he chose to sit on it, one leg swung over as he sat on the other. His hands clutched at the corners where rocks went from ground to wall. Jonny swung his glance at the moon fresh tears stinging his face. He didn't want to say he didn't deserve this, he didn't want to say he was better than that or that Hadji didn't mean it. He did want to believe all that though, but knew he had no reason to.

After all, this was Hadji, the smart one. Jonny was always the goofy, stupid one, ever since Hadji mastered American-English Hadji had consistently been the fruit of Dr. Quest's intellectual loom. Jonny was and still is the never-fail flop, the stroke of bad luck and stupidity that refused to stay down. Why did he have to be the dumb one though? To actually be known to his two closest friends as the village idiot, after all- his dad IS Dr. Benton I'm-a-fucking-world-class-genius C. Quest... his mother Dr. Rachel J. W. Just-as-smart-as-you're-dad Quest, where did that leave him? The fall out is where.

Every time a paper came back, Jessie'd rush home to show it to Race knowing how proud he'd be, Jonny would just as soon choose not to share it, after all he'd do extra credit, a special report and get a good-enough grade to not have shit fly off the handle... but of course whenever they were in the same accelerated classes that paper was known to be handed back and known to have something to compare it to. Without FAIL Jessie'd always choose to show off on the paper Jonny did crappy on, even though she had a few rough ones herself and to be fair- she didn't show off all of them... just a select few. But he never could compete. Ever.

All his defining characteristics were matched and then surpassed by Hadji or Jessie (if not both of them simultaneously) the only one 'shining' trait he had was his constant ability to survive. GREAT he was the equivalence of a roach.

No, no Hadji was right, Jonny was a moron. His stupidity ranked to the point where the word was no longer a descriptive verb but came down to possessing the ability to stand on it's own without any conjugation- Jonny no longer had stupidity, Jonny had stupid, a chronic case of it too.

He didn't feel like dwelling, not with the beautiful ocean below him and the skies so clear above him. Everywhere he felt out of place, even here at his own home he didn't 'fit in' sometimes that was what made it the hardest.

All of his uniqueness came from some half-assed traits combined in such a random, mediocre way that they were HIS below-par skills, his faults and specialties... though faults outweighed all else in his distinctive list of traits.

Jessie could outfight him physically when she tried, Hadji could out-strategy him any day of the week, Jessie and Hadji could outsmart him, out-talk him, Hadji was more kind, Jessie more quick-tempered and less impetuous until challenged, Hadji more level-headed and philosophical, Jessie and Hadji were better scientists, hackers, oh- and Race was better with his hands than the clumsy blond had rights to even hoping to compete with. Jonny sighed, and insult to injury, they were all closer to his own biological father.

Choose your friends but not your family, as the saying goes. That perhaps hurt the very most. His father could choose over him with Jessie and Hadji, and Race, anyone really. The only reason he was in the 'Quest Team' was because he was blood, and by birth-rite expected to turn around by college at latest and be a valuable human being. The blond sighed, it was all so hopeless, college that is- if he went to anywhere well-known he'd be referenced back to his genius father as a disappointment to the old-man, but if he went anywhere too small the exact reversal would occur- people would say he dropped of the face of the planet, that he was too stupid to compete with his brilliant parentage, oh, and his dad would expel him from the house for not living up to his oh-so-high standards.

Again the blond groaned, no, no, Hadji was right. He pressed his hand into his left eye as though the physical stimulus could detract from the mental anguish. Continuing on this theory he wailed his hand into his captive thigh again and again until he knew it would bruise. He pulled his leg back up from over the ledge and looked down. Vertigo. That would be wonderful at the moment, to simply lose control and not be responsible for his own death... after all, his family (and residing community) knew how likely he was for bouts of stupid such as falling off a cliff. How do you even do that more than once in your lifetime?

He turned to walk inside the main house, today wasn't a special day, nor the feelings any bit new. This was the daily struggle, he'd do something stupid, the others may or may not snap and at varying levels... he felt like a mentally hindered mouse who couldn't grasp the concept of an electrified pellet, every day he'd go reach for that temptress of desire- to the mouse it would be the food, to Jonny it would be the chance to show his equality, his ability to BE equal not just by some idealistic 'oh I'm a person and you're a person so we're equal by our base needs' but equal as in able to live up to those close to him and not be... subsidiary. Why couldn't he just be good enough to get by? Why was he just that hairline below bare-minimum and yet too high to be written off as nature's genetic 'oops-a-daisy' or write-off or something.

Slowly he trudged into his room walking past at least two conversations that involved him or at least attempted to initiate with him.

"Hey kiddo how're you do...."

He kept towards the left and ventured past his bodyguard towards the stairs, and who was he to need a bodyguard? All he was to anyone was a meat-bag of wasted human potential and possibly on a good day a meat-bag that bullets could collect in to save someone more important than himself. Race had a family and who was Jonny to keep him from it? Granted his father could use the help around... everything he does, and his dad was a valued member of society (and the human race... but apparently not the gene pool). Jonny scoffed at that, obviously not a good investment, his yields turned to shit. Almost literally.

"Jonny, you dip-wad, dad was talking to..."

He blew straight past Jessie without even looking up from the floor. They'd probably think he was moody or suicidal or something stupid like that and have some 'family intervention' that made Jonny laugh slightly, he could just imagine Hadji's speech. /Well, Jonny, I'd say not to kill yourself but you're too stupid to even understand the body's workings... so the only way you could die is by forgetting to respire or have a heart beat./ Well, there were alternative things that could fit, but he'd just save those for himself.

Of course, as his luck would have it (always so to spit down on his face) Hadji strolled past in perfect cue to Jonny's laughing and the East Indian boy was still less-than-happy to see the semi-functioning kid-brother around him or near anything electronic that worked, such as a light switch.

"I bet you think this is funny but some of us have responsibilities beyond wasting resources... and positively numbered IQ's." Hadji ventured as an afterthought.

Jonny's head found a way to get even lower to the ground, his chest burnt. That was just hurtful. He was sick of being quiet, that last snip from Hadji just crossed a line. "This coming from a street urchin, I'm surprised you translated it so easily."

Hadji's eyes darkened, but instead of his tongue Jonny caught a death-glare from his father who just-so-happened to hear Jonny's comment from down the hall without hearing Hadji's. That's funny because he had whispered that discretely while Hadji had blared the advertisement of Jonny's wasteful existence. Even more impressive was that Lady Luck decided to give Jonny the double-whammy of Race walking by while his father started flipping out and deciding to inform Dr. Quest of his son's lovely anti-social habits and sour mood.

He put his hand to his face and sighed inwardly, which gave his father in misconception of his soon-to-come lecture was 'predictable' and thus made the elaborate man more enraged. "You. Grounded. Apologize and get out of my sight before I regain my ability to verbally thrash you as completely as you deserve for that outlandish thing to say to your BROTHER."

Jonny snickered, he just didn't care, let them yell maybe that was the only sort of attention ever really made for him, "Ha! It wouldn't matter because I PROBABLY would be too DUMB to figure out what half the shit you said to me meant other than me being some horrible ingrate little bastard, but much more formally phrased." Jonny bowed, "And why thank you, I think I will take a lovely stroll to my room. Good day gentlemen," he paused to think and chose to include, "And you too street urchin-brother of mine and eaves-dropping house-invader." Now that he alienated everyone in the household he could be assured that no one would do some moping half-assed apology they'd never mean.

He slid past his door hearing the blood raise to Jessie's face, the veins poke out from her father's head, the eye twitch of his father and Hadji regain his composure to look like the good one who'd come in later to 'mediate' the situation- in other words inform Jonny in formal tongue that he was a no-good louse and should be thankful to be graced with this family as he too was. That or maybe just sneak in a sucker punch; while Hadji wasn't the violent sort sometimes he'd just have that itch that brothers get and just have to wail on Jonny for being that much of a dumb-ass, and frankly today Jonny would gladly invite it and accept it in fullness.

Jonny blinked as he stared at his bed. He knew the drill, unplug all electronics save for his reserve alarm clock that had no radio, two lights and push everything out of his door for temporary storage and possible long-term storage depending how pissed and stubborn his dad cared to be. Maybe he was giving or masochistic as another special trait Jonny could associate with himself. He'd give Hadji the benefit of being the GOOD son while he rocked hard the crappy no-good bastard role regardless of his hatred for it.

Before he could finish his unplug-and-push grounding ritual (down very close to a science for the boy but face it, he wasn't a very good scientist, though he was good at finding his power supplies and either burning them out or unplugging cables from it) Hadji walked by with a cruel and self-bloated smirk.

Jonny smiled back, he didn't care. He knew what was coming.

Sad thing was Jonny knew he did care, he just wished he could be apathetic about being the hated one. Of course Hadji had helped to purge him of feeling worthless as he gave Jonny the honor of the older-brother hitting the younger-brother so not to bruise treatment and then lecturing him about being stupid, again. Of course that was round one, Race and his dad were still to come for rounds two and three, and Jessie'd finish it off strictly to relieve her boiling hostilities of him insulting her. Which she did have all rights to do, she wasn't really being a bitch today, he was just being shitty. Well, that and the whipping boy for anything that goes bump in the night. He wanted today to be over and tomorrow not to quite start, just to have a twilight for himself until he'd regain his center and maybe be able to jubilantly re-embrace the life of the no-good trouble-maker of a son/friend/human being.

After Hadji gave Jonny a matching set of kidney punches and one knee to the gut he glared at the blond adding a vehement-filled, "Don't you dare go near the computer until this paper is IN, do you understand?"

Jonny laughed again, "If I say no do you plan on giving my kidneys some company...? My liver's pretty good. And it's not like I need THAT for college."

Hadji lowered his eyes, oh Jonny was just pressing buttons tonight wasn't he? Hadji was stressed, running on no sleep and just sick of Jonny's pretension and precarious attitude. He did something out of character for himself when he struck Jonny across the face and to the floor. Hadji had to admit it was easier than he had thought to floor the whiny brat. And Zin made it look like a challenge. "Go get kidnapped or something. It will give you a reason to act out for attention and whore out some more angst. You like that, do you not? And maybe, if I pray extra hard and you anger someone just enough... maybe they will cut out your tongue or not even bring you back this time, though I'd have to admit that would be a very patient cur."

Jonny blinked, oh today was war-drum season? Fine by him, "Oh that would be wonderful... may I borrow his highnesses' chariot so to accommodate you? Why don't you just keep at it, I'm sure dad wouldn't even believe the cameras if you beat me into a coma... and then I'd be quiet for, oh... as long as it takes for you all to unplug me. That would be, what, half a minute just so you could pass out the papers and write down a 'yes'."

"I'd be honored to save for the violation of several trusts father and I have between ourselves."

Jonny spat out a single "Ha." It shouldn't surprise him, nor did it, that Hadji and Jessie were close enough to his dad to have this council, Jonny used to be close to Race too, but he lost that battle years ago when Jessie moved back.

"What... you do not wish to whine about being without a mother and for me to take it easy on you because it is so hard? Are you growing up on me, hmm, baby?"

Jonny's eyes turned dark, dangerous. "Well, I can't have you thinking I'm mature and I don't give a shit about how 'hard' it is on me... I know I'm an immature, stupid little brat. No one in this family gives me a chance to forget."

Something inside Jonny broke. That was right, it always seemed that way, didn't it? He really WAS the problem always, it never stemmed from Hadji or Jessie or Race or Bandit or Dr. Quest, no and if it came close to it that was either because of indirect ties to some heroic or heralding past or Jonny's fault once removed.

"And why should I be so much the martyr to give up some plush life just for you all to be happy? Ha! Whoever said I was giving or kind, huh? I'm a selfish little prick so why do you think I'd just succumb to this desire of yours to be out of the way? That wouldn't be very efficient of me for bothering the HELL out of all of you now would it be?"

Hadji glared, "Do not twist my words, I could care less at the moment if the Earth split in half and swallowed you whole, though I doubt it would do so. Nothing can stomach you, nor anyone. But I would be pleased to document else wise."

Blue eyes became more and more crushed under the weight of these exchanges, they were never this fierce or lengthy in their encounters. "Then why are you in my room if you don't want to see me? Get out. It's not like I have a chord to hang myself and be angsty with, and I'm too stupid to hurt myself otherwise so what's there to fear? Best case scenario is I run away and you don't have to see me, dad's all yours and Jessie's and life around the compound gets that much more cheery and sunny."

Hadji smacked Jonny across the face, "You would never survive the real world you spoiled brat but do feel free to try. I'll be certain to comfort the others for the minute they would need for political purposes."

The Indian turned and left leaving Jonny clutching his palms hard enough to cause them to bleed.

'What if he's right? Maybe I should leave. Run away. Is it really running away if no one actively chases you?' Closing his eyes he leaned into the wall from the floor, his cheek hurt and burnt a red tone.

He was too confused to just stay so confined, he needed to walk to clear his head, and so be it if doing so got him in more trouble, his dad was already going to ground him for a week at bare minimum and truth was, he pissed his dad off. He was looking at two weeks in the cage.

Pausing he decided to hear his punishment then walk, at least that way no one would really consciously look for him or no he was gone until dinner time, that gave him a 3 hour window to relax his racing thoughts.

...Assuming Dr. Quest would come in and ground him.

More time passed. Jonny glowered, what in the hell? Did they pack up and move away while he sat there? Jonny snickered, that would be fitting no? He closed his eyes for a moment when he heard his father pound on the door heatedly.

"Jonathon Quest if you don't open this door I'll..." The blond blinked, had he been that deep in his slumber?

He unlocked the door and opened it to reveal a flushed-red angry father. He yawned knowing he just made it three weeks. "How long?"

Dr. Quest glared, more temper raising to his face causing his brow to furrow deeper. "Do you really believe after everything you've done today I'll just give you some simple 'grounding' you've damaged Questworld, erased Hadji's report, insulted collectively every member of this household and now have the audacity to speak freshly towards me?"

Jonny shifted his eyes towards the ground, oh it was THAT sort of punishment, hmm? "Fine. What community service have I been volunteered to, and how long?"

"I wouldn't wish you on this community." Dr. Quest said not realizing the implications. Now Jonny's heart felt cracked, actually hearing a rejection that harsh from his own father, though the older man continued to drone about property damages and how disrespectful it would be to use Jonny's forced labor in a volunteer program that has people who are physically capable to care being denied the privilege to some snotty rich-boy in trouble with his family and mentioning the abuse of power that would be.

Jonny closed the door on his father and refused to answer it as the man now became infuriated and slammed his fist into it demanding to speak to the boy.

Calmly, in fact too rationally Jonny informed his father, "I am not responding to meal invitations this weekend so please feel free to not address me in such. I will be holding my calls and also study in my room so do not feel the urge to attempt and correspond with me until you feel I have been reformed. Also, do not bother to invite me on any endeavors, errands, or intellectual aversions again until you feel my great debt has been repaid. Monday morning I will take meals without the family's interaction, go to class and then return to my bedchambers. Again, I will not be interacting with anyone from the family, nor friends, until I have paid my penance. If you have any questions feel free to listen to the recording you no-doubt made. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get back to some important tasks... sitting on my ass and being an ungrateful piece of shit you regret to call your biological son."

Jonny locked his door and put in earplugs. Leaning into his mattress he closed his eyes and ignored the incessant bangs to the door, coupled with random verbal assaults to gather his attention. Jonny was even careful enough to move chairs to block the hinges from being about to be taken down even if one side was unscrewed. Fuck human interaction with a stick.

As he laid on his back looking at his ceiling he turned to face his balcony, standing quickly he locked the door and shut the curtains. He was too much a louse to have sunlight in his room, nor did he care for the beautiful scenic view. He half-debated sleeping on the floor too, but decided this was one luxury he could indulge after all the accusations of being a snobbish money-wrenching pious, resource-consuming abomination.

He heard more knocking, it had already been three hours why were they still bothering him? Jonny toweled off the doors to muffle the sounds further and continued to contemplate his whiny angst-whoring self that everyone seemed to loathe. He was sick of it, angry, yet perpetually doomed to come to this point. He knew he was stupid, especially to everyone in this house, he had no knacks or niches for only him, he starved on the sheer emptiness of the attentions he gained, and that annoying sting of everyone slashing his down finally motivated him to move. He grabbed some scraps of paper and a sharp knife.

Laughing he realized he was about to become another TV-Movie special, he could even see it- imagining he could feasibly get the attention needed to have people WANT to make a movie 'about' him. "Cutters: Cries for Help from Rich Brats who never made a dime for themselves." A mint for a dozen of them, Jonny shirked inwardly.

No, he paused, there would have to be something more that would call to him and his own innateness that could warrant a befitting suffering onto him. He sat the knife down and leaned onto the floor. He took the knife in his hands and stared in fascination at the blade. Slowly a smile merged over his features, he knew what he'd do, he'd boast his 'survival skills' by giving himself a deep stab wound and leaving it for Monday to worry about.

Jonny looked at the ceiling, bits and pieces of him wanted to hit the vital instant-death sorts of organs, but he knew better. When the body would start to smell they'd come in and think he was murdered or something, and as 'sad' as they'd be (that it didn't happen sooner) he knew he wouldn't be able to stomach that crap of having his hard work assigned to someone else, that and it wouldn't show-case his survival skills and self-hatred nearly enough. Yet, he didn't want it to seem half-assed... nor did he want to be hospitalized and actually face an intervention or something.

He decided Nature's Course and random gestures would be the best way to go. Taking a small hacky-sack out he flung it upward until it landed on his body. It hit right below his last rib. Jonny nodded, that would do, that would do.

If only that god damn knocking would stop Jonny could start his ascension to a world of pain that would blind him of this mental hurt.

He raised the knife as he heard a cracking sound sitting up and giving a quick, "Oh shit..." he tried to hide the newspapers and slipped the knife in the space between his jeans and the belt behind his back.

Jonny blinked daftly as he saw a digital view of Jessie and his father. He looked back and forth for a moment.

"...What...'s going on?" He ventured.

His eyes fogged over and his breathing instantly hollowed itself as Surd stepped into sight of the blond. Like a wooden puppet his arms and legs hit the floor turning into an involuntary mesh of limbs he could not control.

Surd smiled, "Oh did you really think I'd let you have the brat that easily? I finally made him shut up, you should all be happy. He was even about to kill himself, you do realize what that means Dr. Quest, if his inner desire is actually death, why would you deny him of it...? Do you really believe it was all my doing, that he wasn't inwardly growing towards this? I'd love to take the credit and all, but really now, your innate incompetence as a parent makes me laugh and want to shake your hand simultaneously."

Jessie leaned next to Jonny.

"Funny thing is, even though this is his ultimate fear- rejection and abandonment from everyone he values for the faults of not living up to you... this is also his fantasy. He will refuse to give up this identity until you force him." He cackled in twisted delight, "And the best part in that is-"He scoffed again without recall, "you'll illustrate those very inner fears and only push to encourage him further!"

Surd slapped his knee. "Oh but do feel free to try, I want to watch this." He jumped onto a strangely designed dresser that had been used to bolster the door before the red-haired duo knocked it over. A bag of synthetic popcorn appeared in Surd's hands.

"As a program I have very little chance to play..." He glared at Jessie for a moment before continuing, "But I've made so many replicas of myself you'll never be able to eradicate me, though even if you were how much of this do you think you could halt? You're son's mental decay has gone this long unnoticed. I didn't even have more than an hour with him, but this damage won't be able to be reconciled for..." Surd contemplated, "Possibly three years of intensive therapy if he's lucky."

Jonny's eyes regained some clarity as his anger built. Why did everyone interrupt him when he was about to do something important and GOOD? They couldn't argue it, this would benefit everyone. Completely.

He grabbed his knife, screw the courtesy of not dying in front of family, he was never extended that kindness with his mother so why should anyone else get away from those impossibly large scars to bare?

Jonny looked back down at where the knife was supposed to go as Surd continued to laugh. He looked down, that's right, this wouldn't be a horror to give scars, it would be a comedy to bare laughs. "About bloody time..." They could say, maybe going so far as to pat him on the back- for once. Maybe they'd actually be proud... or maybe his dad would complain about his technique, Jessie complaining about him getting blood on what would soon be acquired as her new room...

"Are you three going to continue to be insistent and meddle with my work?" He groaned, "I do not want any additional criticisms or 'assistance' as to how to make this more efficient or cleaner or better... so just sit down and watch or leave." He carried on muttering, "You'll all do THAT in the end anyways."

No one dared to move, each afraid of setting off Jonny, except for Surd who was too glued in excitement to really do much of anything until the climax was released.

Jonny's eyes shifted through the room. "Damn it you're all annoying me, let me at least have a peaceful death."

Jessie and Dr. Quest looked between themselves, how were they disturbing him... was that really a bad thing? Well, obviously not, but still...

They continued to watch though Surd waved at them to step back and let the show continue, playfully and intoxicated with the joys of seeing so much misery in one area, particularly in a family he loathed.

Jonny kept looking around, everyone was judging him again, "You aren't even able to keep your wrists locked? How do you NOT aim for something vital... this isn't hard you know, anyone could do it—well, apparently anyone except you."

Jonny dropped the knife, the voices were booming now, squashing him in their opinions and grievances. "Damn it... just... stop..." Tears began to sprinkle down his eyes, though his hands had initially gone towards covering his face his left hand collected the knife to prevent anyone from getting 'ideas' he might not like. Though he doubted ANYONE would attempt to help him, prevent him from killing himself... and if they did it would be based solely on the political correctness of 'saving a wretched life' or some annoying bullshit.

His head was spinning, it was too hard to breath with everyone staring at him. Some of the voices continued to taunt him, Surd's included. "What, finally get center-stage and now you get stage-fright?" Surd scoffed angrily, heated, "I want to see a bloody show- the bloodier the better. Now be USEFUL for at least one instance in your existence... even if it's your annihilation."

Jonny glared at him spitefully and slashed at him. "I TOLD YOU SHUT UP!"

The boy managed to hit the stunned Surd across the gut causing him to move back hastily to recollect himself, more literally then he'd have liked.

Jonny looked at the knife more anger rising over him, his stomach heated with anxious butterflies, he dragged the knife across his hand angry to see that his slash had done little to the intrusive stranger. The cut emitted a small line of red. Jonny smiled sadly and sat down to stare at it in fascination. He pressed the knife-wielding hand into the wound and winced with a relieved face. He looked down to the ground and yawned, no one was bitching at him at the moment, telling him of his sub-par value. He held his head he had to concentrate to keep himself awake and still angry and sad.

He looked at the two remaining people in his room, "...Why am I so tired?" He groggily, and relenting, leaned onto the floor into a lying position. He continued to stare at the knife finally putting it down, he yawned lengthily and attempted to blink back the sleep proving to invite in faster and faster. As a last-ditch effort Jonny put his hand over the knife to think, lifted it so the blade was squeezed by the fingers and slid it to under the bed. "...Too tired today... maybe next week," he yawned again. He turned to the others still remaining.

"Why are you still here? It's not like you care... are you both really that voyeur?"

Dr. Quest bit his bottom lip, he was tempted to tear into the boy and explain just how UNTRUE that was but knew he'd have to approach this gently.

Jessie on the other hand did not have Dr. Quest's finesse and common courtesy as she immediately started up a string of selective phrases one would expect Race's offspring to yield. "Of all the stupid no good ... dumb things to SAY Jonny... Of course we care, why the hell else would we even bother to..." Jessie groaned near enraged. She loved him so dearly she wanted to strangle the little fucker for being so selfish.

She turned back away, "Jonny... come back with us."

He blinked in confusion. "Back...? But I'm already back home."

Dr. Quest picked up on that note, "Jonny, you're in Questworld. Actually, a fracture of it. Do you remember the power-storm?"

Jonny shook his head the tiredness still there, "...Power-storm? What are you talking about..."

"We were in a wave of charged air... We thought it would pass us but it didn't, son..."

"...you mean... I didn't break QW... today? It was the weather...? It... wasn't my fault?"

Dr. Quest shook his head, "No, it wasn't. It... it was mine. If I had just taken precautions..."

"...What are you talking about precautions... you have it running now I thought...?"

Dr. Quest nodded, "We do, but... during the storm there was a contained explosion while you were running the diagnostics. You hit your head," He approached Jonny and petted the side of his face in a concerned caress. "But the programs didn't go down, just the hard drive and some of the programs saved on it were deleted while other, older ones were accessed during the reboot."

Jessie added, "Surd's among others."

Dr. Quest looked at Jonny to gauge his reaction, "We tried to log you out but kept getting error signs, with Surd around we couldn't risk turning off the program- the psychological damage would be crippling. So we overhauled the system to get back into where you were... we saw what was happening but couldn't reach you until a few minutes ago."

Jonny stiffened, "Wait... you mean... none of this really happened... but... but you saw... Oh god no..." He covered his face.

"Hadji seemed to be an aggressor so we chose to put Jessie in his place, but with Surd being around even a facsimile we couldn't put Race in. It would be like pouring gasoline on an oil fire."

The blond tried to still grasp the last point, "You SAW everything... and... and heard it?"

Dr. Quest looked at his son with a worried pair of periwinkle eyes, "We aren't going to judge you, we know Surd probably shifted the personas to work in this direction to drive you to this point."

Jonny shook his head, "No no no no no... you SAW this... you WATCHED IT ALL and you... you saw this... into my... into my mind you saw all of this? Did you hear my thoughts...?" Jonny added in afterthought.

"Son it doesn't matter right now we have to get you out of here to get you medical attention!"

"N... no not until I'm certain what's happened, all four of you saw all of my fears and anxieties didn't you? What in the hell... and you just watched it all I bet, did you have to go through my past memories to find this?"

Jessie blushed, "...Well, your dad and I did... and I think the others saw..."

Jonny collapsed into his knees. "I can't believe this." He paused before continuing, "I don't even get to hold back how mortified I am... you probably all hate me for that... how I think sometimes... and... and... oh god I can't believe you all saw... everything." His mind echoed it as if to finally comprehend, "Everything..."

He felt physically ill.

Dr. Quest put a hand on his shoulder as he hoisted the boy up, "Son, it doesn't matter to any of us what you remember or what makes you who you are now... we all love you for being that person, that path to it is irrelevant, and we won't use this against you... you have to know that, don't you trust us at least that much?"

"I... I..." Jonny pushed himself into his father's pull and held his face close to his father's chest about to cry, why did this not feel strange suddenly? He hadn't done that sort of purging for years. Not since his mother had died, why was he being so selfish to compare this event to something so life-altering?

Dr. Quest patted down the blond hair, "It's alright Jonny... come on, we have to go... this world will be reset into Questworld soon, Jonny it's going to be fine..."

Jonny pushed himself back swiping at the tears on his face, this was too mortifying, Hadji, Jessie and Race just saw him fall into an emotional outburst and he just CRIED on his dad. He shivered, it was too hard to just not think about what they all know and then to just return to it. There was no way it would not affect their view of him, they already had to hate him, he just had no idea how to make that go away.

Jessie grabbed his hand and pulled, her eyes were watery, "Jonny you lazy punk get up and move. If I have to drag you all the way to the exit sign I will. And you know I'll complain EVERY STEP OF THE WAY if you make me."

Jonny shivered again, the world was starting to shut down, if it was like last time it would turn black then reemerge with Questworld's unused hard drive. Jessie continued to pull Jonny towards the exit. Dr. Quest realizing Jonny's petrified state joined in as the two started to pull Jonny into a walking motion then rushed towards the doorway in a near-sprint.

Blond hair replaced his face as Jessie turned back to look at her best friend, what was he staring back into? All that was left was turning into abyss. How could he stare at that so easily?

Jonny seemed to look past as the black continued to surround him, he felt it, it was some strange feeling of pressure lifting but in doing so causing some new frightening effect of altered balance, he could feel his breathing was too thin his body screamed for air, he felt dizzy. Just as the others reached the doorway he felt his hands slip from theirs. He dropped to his knees panting trying to get back his wind, he felt like there was a weight pushing down on his lungs, his unharmed hand gripped at his chest as he gasped in large breaths of nothing as he saw the first hand fish through the opening followed by a second, Jonny reached his damaged hand towards theirs and pushed himself from the ground sorely. Feeling as though his time would run out he pressed his heel against the last bits of solid ground and kicked up into their pulling, fishing grasps and dove through the freshly-sealed portal behind him.

Within a quick passageway through a nightmarish landscape of childhood fears that still lingered and a maze of electrical currents the three appeared back in main archives of the Questworld data.

As Jonny's physical body caught up with his neurological links he collapsed to the ground unconscious. Dr. Quest shot out an urgent call for Hadji to log them off and within seconds of the countdown being terminated had the smelling salts ready to be used on Jonny.

"Jonny... wake up..." Hadji beckoned, 'how could he be so afraid to think I could ever shut him out or replace him...?'

"Jonny, come on and wake up..." Jessie murmured, nervousness branded over her face, 'come on and wake up... if you aren't around who will I tease... or compete with in everything until I find something I can win at and call quit-sees...?'

"Kiddo, come on, you can pull through this, wake up." Race raked Jonny's golden locks out of his eyes, the worry notable but his thoughts too many to localize into one real concern.

Dr. Quest smiled as Jonny stiffened under the harsh smell, his eyes flickered open batting up and down uncomfortably, "Jonny..." He smiled and collapsed into a hug. "...if you ever, ever, ever feel like that again you let me know instantly do you hear me?"

Jonny blinked still too out of it to register what was happening. "Iii... e..." He nodded meekly, "I'm so sorry I put you all through this... I'm..."

Race shook his head, "Kiddo, don't you even start. Let's get you to bed, your dad'll call the doctor."

Fin.


End file.
